Utah QB race down to 2

SALT LAKE CITY 
Utah has gone from having little experience at quarterback to none at all.

The starting job is still open for either junior college transfer Terrance Cain or freshman Jordan Wynn to claim.

Coach Kyle Whittingham says it's a dead heat and hopes one of the two pulls ahead soon. The season opener against Utah State is Sept. 3.

Whittingham put Cain and Wynn at the top of the depth chart late last week, ahead of Corbin Louks, who held a slight edge coming into fall camp.

But Louks also had limited experience with just 15 career passes. Louks announced Tuesday that he's transferring to Nevada.

Whittingham says both Cain and Wynn are making progress and whoever gets the job will have enough talent around him to compensate for the lack of experience.

"We've got a lot of playmakers," Whittingham said. "They don't have to be spectacular. They just have to play solid football for us."

The two split time running the offense in a scrimmage Tuesday, when Wynn completed 10 of 19 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns and Cain went 11-for-21 for 152 yards and a TD. Wynn also had two interceptions, but Whittingham said the balls were tipped and not the 19-year-old QB's fault.

Whittingham said the race was still even after Wednesday morning's practice. He hopes to have a starter in place by sometime next week.

The new QB will be replacing Brian Johnson, who holds the school records with 26 wins as the starter, including 13 during the Utes' unbeaten season a year ago.

Louks was Johnson's backup the last two years and was No. 1 entering camp, but couldn't hold off the newcomers.

"It was by the slightest of margins," Whittingham said. "Corbin was doing a good job, but these guys were slightly ahead."

Louks tried a few practices at defensive back, then decided he'd rather transfer than change positions.

Cain and Wynn knew the job would be open this fall and enrolled at Utah last winter so they could take part in spring practice. For Wynn, that meant graduating early from Oceanside (Calif.) High School in order to get some feel for the offense during the spring.

"This was what I wanted. That's why I did it. I missed out on probably one of the funnest semesters in a high schooler's life," said Wynn, who passed for 3,336 yards and 32 touchdowns for Oceanside last fall. "But it's all paying off and it's all worth it."

Whittingham had Wynn listed at No. 1 earlier in camp but Cain pushed his way to the top with a few good practices last week. He played two years at Blinn Community College in Houston, passing for 3,138 yards and 29 touchdowns last season and was named NJCAA offensive player of the year.

That was junior college. Cain is now trying to take over the starting job at the school with the longest active winning streak in the NCAA's Bowl Subdivision.

"You can't try to do too much," Cain said. "Don't try to be a hero. Just let it happen."

Cain and Wynn both describe the competition as friendly, but both are still going to do whatever they can to win the job.

Whittingham hopes one of them does – soon. After hosting Utah State on Sept. 3, the Utes visit San Jose State and then have a tough road game at Oregon on Sept. 19.

"Believe me, we'd like to see separation, but they're both progressing and they're both doing some good things," Whittingham said. "We don't start today so I don't have to make that decision."